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FLIPSIDE
Word
Association
By
Dilip Bobb
It's
widely practiced by psychiatrists and market researchers to plumb the
subconscious and get people to reveal their true emotions and personalities.
However, word association has other meaningful uses, most notably to immediately
associate certain words or phrases with certain people, almost as an extension
of their persona. Here are some prominent examples:
 Rollback:
Along with Ray and roshogolla, has now established itself as part of West
Bengal's rich literary lexicon, courtesy Mamata Banerjee. Her creative
output may be largely limited to "Cholbe na" or "Jyoti
Basu hai hai", but it is with "rollback" that she has earned
her niche in Indian political history. Now used as a metaphor for situations
when the smallest of tails wags the biggest of dogs.
Feel Good
Factor: Though largely invisible and amorphous, specially in the past
six months, Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha's famous pain-reliever is
now as much associated with him as aspirin is with headaches. Which is
what most industrialists are currently experiencing. It almost seems like
he keeps it bottled: every time industrialists are in trouble, they run
to him, he gives them a dose of the feel good factor, and they emerge
smiling and euphoric. Doctor Sinha's miracle cure is definitely ready
to be patented.
Rejuvenate
and Revitalise: An exercise undertaken by Sonia Gandhi which is, in
many ways, similar to the one by Dr Sinha. Like most industrialists, the
share value of the Congress party has been showing a steady decline. Each
time it takes a knock, Sonia is trotted out a magic elixir to revitalize
and rejuvenate the party. Not mush success as yet, but ask any Congressmen
and he, or she, will tell you how rejuvenated and revitalized they feel.
It's almost enough to give Viagra and inferiority complex.
National
Debate: Phrase now associated with any policy decision that could
upset a powerful lobby or Mamata Banerjee, which amounts to the same thing.
Applicable to certain key areas of the reform process, its most recent
victim has been the foreign media's entry into India. When overused, can
be replaced by another diversionary phrase, "public opinion",
as employed most frequently by Sushma Swaraj. Another alias for powerful
lobby or Mamata Banerjee, whichever reacts first.
Doing
a Veerappan: A phrase used to describe any murky dealing, match-fixing,
retraction of earlier statement, a soft state, being held to ransom or
sporting a handlebar moustache. Also the plot of the next Kannada movie.
Sure,
Confident: Which is exactly what the status of the Big B is following
the phenomenal success of the game show he presides over. Hardly surprising
considering the status of his recent movies. In terms of career moves,
KBC and Star TV have clearly thrown him a lifeline. Or three.
Bumbledum
and Bumblebee: The words most closely associated with the television
clone launched by Zee TV starring Anupam Kher and Manisha Koirala. Also
known as Beauty and the Bust, the rival game show continues to bumble
along, confusing viewers and participants alike with its convoluted arithmetic
and shameless plugs. Can be salvaged if the producers decide to relaunch
it as a comedy serial.
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